Author: bridgete

Categories
Soup Vegetarian

Egg Drop Ginger Soup

  • 5 cups stock
  • 1 tbsp. finely grated ginger
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 1⁄2 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups (56 grams) baby spinach
  • 1 1⁄2 cups cooked, shelled edamame
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Bring stock, ginger, and 1 tsp. salt to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan.
  2. Stir cornstarch and soy sauce in a bowl until smooth; whisk into stock, cook until slightly thickened, 1–2 minutes, and remove from heat.
  3. Whisk remaining salt, the sesame oil, and eggs in a bowl. While gently whisking broth, slowly add egg mixture to scatter eggs as they cook.
  4. Stir in spinach and edamame until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute; season with salt.
  5. Divide soup between four bowls; top with scallions.
Categories
-appetizers Vegetarian

Sun Dried Tomato Egg cups

  • 10 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
  • 3/4 cup spinach chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200c (400 F).

Get a 12 count muffin tin, and grease generously. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, crack in eggs and whisk together with salt and black pepper.

Add in all other ingredients

Divide evenly into muffin tins filling 2/3 full. Top with additional parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until set.

Categories
Fish

Cod With Scallion-Sesame Butter

  • Cod fillets
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch or all-purpose flour
  • 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 for cooking and 4 for topping
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Step 1

Pat fish dry with paper towels; season with salt.

Sprinkle one side with an even layer of cornstarch; brush off excess.

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high.

Lay fish, cornstarch side down, in skillet and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until golden, crisp, and opaque around the edges, 6–8 minutes.

Turn fish over and cook just until fillets are cooked through and flake easily with a fork, 1–2 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, place scallions in a medium heatproof bowl.

Combine butter, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and remaining 4 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Cook until butter begins to foam and garlic turns light golden, about 4 minutes.

Pour over scallions, stirring to wilt. Let cool 1 minute, then season with salt.

Step 3

Serve fish with scallion-sesame butter spooned over.

Categories
Vegetarian

Vegetarian Chili

  • 2 oranges
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 4 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 4 teaspoons chili powder
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 440gr (15.5-ounce) cans seasoned black beans, drained
  • 2 440gr (15.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in juice
  • Hot pepper sauce
  • Sour cream or plain yogurt
  • Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Step 1

Grate enough orange peel to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons.

Juice oranges.

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes.

Mix in garlic and spices.

Add beans, tomatoes, and half of orange juice.

Simmer over medium heat until heated through and flavors blend, stirring often, about 15 minutes.

Mix in orange peel and remaining orange juice. Season to taste with hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Ladle chili into bowls. Top with sour cream and parsley. Pass extra hot sauce alongside.

Categories
Shrimp

Tandoori Shrimp

  • 450 grams shrimp, tiger prawn preferred, shelled and deveined, tails on
  • bamboo skewers, soaked in water before using
  • oil for basting
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

MARINADE:

  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Mix all the ingredients of the Marinade in a bowl. Stir to combine well.
  2. Add the shrimp to the Marinade and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or best for two hours. Thread the shrimp onto the bamboo skewers, set aside.
  3. Grill the shrimp on a grill on both sides, until they are cooked and slightly charred on the surface. Baste with oil while grilling.
  4. Remove from the grill, garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately with lime wedges.

If you are baking with oven, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and arrange the shrimp skewers in a single layer. Using a small brush, baste both sides of the shrimp with the oil. Roast for 10 minutes or until the shrimps are cooked.

Broil for 1 minute or until the top surface is slightly charred. Remove from the oven, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Categories
-sides

Potatoes au Gratin

  • Softened butter
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • 1kg potatoes, peeled
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • 8 to 10 fresh thyme sprigs
  • freshly grated nutmeg, optional
  • 1.5 cups (or more or less) stock
  • 1.5 cups (or more or less) heavy cream
  • 1 heaping cup grated Gruyère cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  1. Preheat oven to 190c (375ºF). Grease an earthenware gratin dish with smashed peeled garlic and butter.
  2. cut potatoes 1/8-inch thick and layer overlapping slices in the prepared pan. Season generously with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves (no need to chop — just pull and scatter). Lightly grate nutmeg over top. Make another layer of potato slices and season again in the same manner.
  3. Cover the potatoes with the stock and cream — you may need more to allow the liquid to get to the top level of the top layer of potatoes. 
  4. Sprinkle the top with the grated cheeses.
  5. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour (see notes above if you need to make this ahead of time), checking after 40 minutes or so to make sure the potatoes are not browning too quickly. If they are browning too quickly, cover the pan with foil and continue baking until the potatoes are tender and the top is nicely browned. You can also turn the temperature down to 350ºF if necessary. I find this consistently takes over an hour for the liquid to thicken up and for the top to be evenly browned. 
Categories
bread&pizza

Naan

  1. Preheat the oven to 225C/200C fan/Gas 8 and place a thick baking tray into the oven to heat.
  2. Whisk together the sugar, egg and milk in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and knead lightly to make a soft dough – take care not to work the dough too much or it will become too stretchy.
  4. When all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest, in a warm place, for 15 minutes.
  5. Once rested, knead the dough with the oil until smooth.
  6. Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized balls and roll out into a circle of approximately 10cm/4in diameter.
  7. Spread the circles on the hot tray in the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes – you might need to turn the bread to ensure it is all cooked. You will also most likely need to cook the bread in batches. Brush with melted ghee.
Categories
-appetizers bread&pizza Fish

Salmon Honey Pastries

  • 56 grams (2 ounces) cream cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (for cream cheese filling)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, divided
  • 140 gram (5 ounce) salmon steak, skin removed
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice for salmon (optional)
  • small pinch of sea salt
  • 1 sheet puff pastry dough
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons water
  1. Preheat oven to 200c (400F.)
  2. Combine the cream cheese, honey, one teaspoon dill, and one teaspoon lemon juice in a small bowl. It will take a few minutes to combine everything well. Add the other one teaspoon of lemon juice, stir well again, and set aside.
  3. Slice salmon steak into 12 thin slices. Arrange salmon slices on a large flat plate, sprinkle remaining dill, three teaspoons of lemon juice (optional), and small pinch of sea salt over salmon slices.
  4. Cut pastry dough into 12 squares. Evenly distribute the cream cheese onto the pastry squares. Top each with one slice of salmon.
  5. In a small bowl combine egg and water.
  6. Fold one corner of the pastry square over the salmon, brush with egg wash. Fold opposite corner over the first fold, brush with egg wash to seal.
  7. Bake 18-20 minutes or until salmon and pastry dough are fully cooked.
Categories
Fish

Sicilian-Style Baked Cod

  • 1 medium or 1/2 of a large red onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 12 to 16 ounces firm white fish fillet, cut in 3 to 4-ounce portions
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
  • 3 or 4 sprigs fresh, flat-leaf parsley
  • 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
  • 3 or 4 large fresh basil leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
  • 10 to 12 oil-cured black olives, cracked and pitted
  1. Preheat the oven to 200c (400°F.)
  2. Cut the onion into quarters, then cut the quarters crosswise and separate the layers to create wide, square slices. In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté over low heat until the onion has wilted and started to turn translucent; be careful not to let it brown. Add the red wine vinegar to the pan and shake it briefly, then transfer everything to the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish.
  3. Wipe the pan with a paper towel to clean it, then place it back over low heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the anchovy paste and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the paste into the oil. Dump the breadcrumbs into the pan and stir to completely coat them with the oil. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a small bowl to cool slightly.
  4. Wash the herbs, pat them dry, and finely chop them. Add them to the bowl with breadcrumbs, and season everything with a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
  5. Lay the portioned fish on top of the onions and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Distribute the breadcrumb-herb mixture evenly on top of the fish. Add the white wine or water to the pan and scatter the olives around the dish.
  6. Bake the fish for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish; it should be cooked through but still moist; check the pan after 10 minutes and add a bit more water or wine if necessary.
  7. Serve immediately, with the some of the onions, olives and pan juices spooned alongside the fish.
Categories
Bakery Desserts

Cherry upside down cake

For the cherry layer

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries 
  • ⅓ cup sugar 
  • 1 tsp corn starch 

For the chocolate cake batter

  • 1 cup sugar 
  • 1 cup all purpose flour 
  • ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa 
  • 1 tsp. baking powder 
  • ½ tsp baking soda 
  • ¼ tsp salt 
  • 2 eggs 
  • ½ cup soured milk 
  • ½ cup brewed black coffee. 
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil 
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

To prepare the cherry layer

  1. Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan that’s at least 2 inches deep and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. You can also use an 8×8 square baking dish for this cake.
  2. Blend together the sugar and corn starch, then toss the mixture well with the pitted cherries. If using frozen cherries allow them to thaw for 20 minutes or so before using them.
  3. Spread the cherries evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.

To prepare the chocolate cake batter

  1. Combine all ingredients in the batter recipe in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
  2. Pour slowly and evenly over the cherries in the prepared cake pan.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  4. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a heat proof serving plate.